


Friends Forever

by flamewhipper



Series: Ateez One-Shots [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Childhood Friends, Cute Kids, Loss, M/M, Sad and Happy, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26074444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamewhipper/pseuds/flamewhipper
Summary: Wooyoung and Yeosang meet when they are eight years old at a hospital and are reunited as adults, but all is not what it seems...
Series: Ateez One-Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888663
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Friends Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for requesting this piece from me. Knowing that my work is loved so much means the world to me!
> 
> Before we begin, I want to state a few things: The following images used for my edit are not mine, all credit goes to the original owner. Same with this idea. It was inspired by an AU post found on Twitter posted by @rhooboob.
> 
> I will also be publishing it on my Wattpad account.
> 
> There are no triggering warnings for this piece, although I will say you may want to have some Kleenex handy.

“Wooyoung, keep up!”

“Wooyoung, stay close.”

“Wooyoung, Honey, stop fidgeting!”

A long sigh escaped the eight-year-old boy as he sat on his hands to try and calm down how much energy he had. It wasn’t like he was doing it on purpose, he just had a hard time sitting still and all he wanted to do was play.

But there wasn’t much for a kid to do in the hospital, especially when his father was preoccupied with making sure his mother was healthy.

Mrs. Jung had been in the hospital for a few days now with a failing liver. She needed a new one, but now they were just playing the waiting game for one to become available.

It was during Wooyoung’s break from school, too, so with no one to watch him he was forced to come to the hospital ever day with his dad. And really, his father had pulled him out almost a month early because he was worried about juggling taking him to and from school and being there for his wife.

He let out another sigh and looked around the large room. There was just nothing for him to do! But he knew that if he were to start complaining his father would only yell at him.

“Excuse me?” A nurse said from where she had been working in the corner. Everyone turned to look at her and she gave the family a kind smile. “I might be able to get him into the play area we have for the children who are staying here. We have one set aside for the kids who are healthy enough so they can get out of their room for a bit.”

Wooyoung’s mother gave her a weary smile. “Are you sure Dear? We wouldn’t want to put you out of your way.” Her voice was so tired and raspy. Wooyoung jumped up and ran to her side. She turned her head slowly and ran her shaking fingers through his hair. “Can you promise to be a good boy?”

“Yes! I promise Mommy.” He looked up at his father as well and received a grim nod.

“Ok, you take the nurse’s hand and don’t like go.” His mother patted his cheek a couple of times. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Wooyoung nodded happily and walked over to the nurse, knowing he wasn’t allowed to run while in the hospital. The woman held out her delicate hand and walked with him down the hallway. “If you need anything, just asked for me, ok?” She said after a few minutes.

“Ok!” Wooyoung looked around the long hallway and chewed on his lip. This place was a lot bigger than he realized and he found himself walking a little closer to the nurse.

All his nerves were forgotten, though, once she opened the door to a room at the far end of the hall.

A beautiful play area had been set up for the kids that had different toy chests, a small playhouse, and a stack of board games in the corner.

“Here, let’s wash your hands. You need to make sure to do this when you’re ready to leave too, ok?” The nurse knelt in front of him and turned on the sink that had been built at his height. Wooyoung just nodded while eyeing all the toys he could play with. “You might be here by yourself today, we don’t have have many children here right now, but there’s one little boy who might join you if he’s feeling up to it. Is that ok?”

“Yes!” Wooyoung started to bounce in place as his excitement grew. The nurse let out a joyous laugh while drying his hands, then sent him on his way.

Wooyoung stopped to wave at her once before running over to the chest of toys and pulling out a bunch of cars. He was so happy to finally have something to focus his energy on.

He was lost in his own world of make believe for a couple of hours when the door opened again and a small boy with blonde hair hobbled in. He was holding a yellow blanket to his chest and looked very pale, which made the birthmark on his cheek stick out a lot.

His nurse ran her fingers through his hair and gave him a loving smile. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, ok?”

The boy nodded and started walking slowly over to the playhouse but then paused when he saw Wooyoung. His eyes grew wide and he held the blanket up over his mouth. “Wh… Who are you? Are you a new patient?”

“No, my mommy is.” Wooyoung tilted his head to the side. “I’m Wooyoung, what’s your name?”

“Yeosang.” The boy answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Would you like to play, Sangie?”

Yeosang’s cheeks turned a little red at the nickname, but he gave a small nod from behind his blanket. Wooyoung cheered and ran forward. “Here! You can be a superhero with me! We have to defend the castle!” Wooyoung started making gun noises even though the figure in his hand was a hero with a cap and had no gun.

He ended up dictating most of the game they played and Yeosang followed along happily. Sometimes he would speak for his hero or make shooting sounds to represent his laser eyes, but mostly he followed Wooyoung around.

And he was always clutching his yellow blanket.

Wooyoung was so happy to have someone to play with, he didn’t mind that Yeosang was very obviously shy. There was something about him that made them just instantly click.

At one point, the two of them set up a bunch of blocks on top of the playhouse and then threw plastic balls to knock them over, which resulted in Wooyoung turning and throwing himself at Yeosang. “We did it Sangie!! We saved the princess!!” He pointed at the doll he had set aside.

Yeosang clapped his hands and hugged Wooyoung back.

A nurse appeared a few minutes later and Yeosang walked over to her. “Do I have to?”

“It’s time Sweetie, but you can come back later if you’re feeling up to it, ok? Say goodbye to your friend.”

Yeosang turned and waved his blanket back and forth. “Bye… Bye Youngie.”

“Bye Sangie!! Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow!”

The nurse smiled at Wooyoung. “Maybe you will.” She took Yeosang’s hand and patted it a couple of times before leading him from the room.

For a moment, Wooyoung looked around the room and suddenly felt very alone. He liked playing with Yeosang and wished his new friend didn’t have to leave.

Thankfully, his dad came looking for him and Wooyoung ran over to him with a big smile. “Daddy!! Daddy I made a new friend!”

“Did you? That’s great, Bud. Let’s go home. Mommy is going to rest for awhile, she said to tell you she loves you.”

“I love her too!” Wooyoung let his dad pick him up and carry him from the hospital. He kept his eyes peeled for Yeosang, hoping to see him again, but the boy was nowhere to be found.

Nor did he come to the playroom for the next two days.

Wooyoung was starting to think that maybe he had imagined the blonde, but on the third day, the door to the playroom opened again and Yeosang came in carrying his yellow blanket. His eyes were red and puffy, but the instant he saw Wooyoung a shy smile crossed his face.

“Sangie! I missed you!” Wooyoung hurried forward and brought Yeosang into a tight hug. He missed the way the nurse jerked her hands forward as he she wanted to pull them apart, but when she saw the happy look on Yeosang’s face she stepped outside and let them be. “Where were you?”

“I’m sorry…” Yeosang looked twisted his blanket around in his hands and looked at the ground.

Wooyoung could tell something was bothering him, but he didn’t like seeing Yeosang upset, so he just took Yeosang’s hand and pulled him over to the blocks. “Let’s build a fort! Then we can defend it from the dragon!”

The boys fell into an easy rhythm whenever the got together. Wooyoung had worked out that Yeosang was a patient at the hospital, but he never quite knew how to ask what was wrong. He had always been blunt with his parents, but there was something about Yeosang that made him want to make the boy smile.

There were some days that Yeosang never showed up to the room. Those were the times Wooyoung was the loneliest. His mom was getting worse and that in turn stressed his dad out. Wooyoung always felt like he was in the way if he stayed in the hospital room with them, so he asked every day to come to the playroom, even if he had to be by himself.

Since they spent every day of the week at the hospital, Yeosang quickly became Wooyoung’s best friend. They went on the craziest adventures together, his favorite being when they pretended to be performers. Yeosang took the time to line up all the toys across the floor, spacing them out evenly, so that they were all facing the stage and he and Wooyoung danced and sang made up songs together.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do that for real?” Wooyoung asked after one of the nurses brought them lunch that day. “Hearing aaaaall those people scream our names?” He opened his arms up wide as he spoke and fell back to lay down and stare at the ceiling. “And we could do it together too!”

Yeosang’s eyes lit up and he nodded. “We would be so good at it too.”

“I want to do it with you, Yeosang. We can do it together and perform on big stages. Just you and me.” He turned to look at his friend and saw Yeosang nodding. “I’d really like that.” Then he picked at something green on his plate. He tilted his head in confusion and brought it to his mouth.

Wooyoung burst out laughing when he watched Yeosang chew on it for about a second then spit it back out and act like nothing happened. In his embarrassment, Yeosang also brought his blanket closer to him and held it to his chest.

They had many happy days together, and for some of them, Wooyoung almost forgot that they were at the hospital for a reason.

He was reminded about a week before summer was supposed to end when his mother died during surgery for her liver transplant. She had lost too much blood and her body had been too weak going into it to be able to recover.

In his grief, Wooyoung’s father moved them to a different part of the city so that they didn’t have to live in the house that had so many memories in it. The man closed himself off and did everything he could to move on from the horrible pain from losing his wife.

And on top of losing his mom, Wooyoung never got to say goodbye to his friend…

As the years passed, Wooyoung made new friends, progressed through school, and struggled with trying to decide what he wanted to do with his life. Ever since losing his mother, nothing felt right in his family anymore. His father was barely around and Wooyoung practically raised himself.

He often found his mind being drawn back to the three months he had spent at the hospital. Especially whenever he saw something yellow. The thought of playing with Yeosang never failed to bring a smile to his face.

One day, when Wooyoung couldn’t tear his thoughts away from the hospital, no matter how hard he tried, he realized that maybe it was invading his mind for a reason. He started doing research and applied for nursing school.

The sense of pride he felt when he realized that he wanted to help people, like the kind nurses had helped his mother and Yeosang, was something he had never felt before.

Wooyoung threw everything he had into nursing school. He studied constantly and made sure he took all his lesson seriously.

And then when the day finally came to apply for jobs, Wooyoung took his application to the same hospital that had treated his mother. He waited until he was accepted to find an apartment on that side of town, not wanting to jinx it, but he had been top of his class and had stellar recommendations from several of his teachers.

The hospital hired him on the spot.

Wooyoung was thrilled to have found his calling and soon found that he truly did enjoy helping others. He always did his best to get his patients to smile at least once every day, and many of them told him that he made their stay there better.

One day, Wooyoung stopped by a supply closet to start stocking up on a few things for his personal cart when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

He jumped and spun around, only to come face to face with someone he recognized instantly by the birthmark under his eye. “Yeosang!” Wooyoung covered his mouth to try and quiet the near screeching sound he unintentionally made, then started to shake his head. “What are you doing here?!”

A pained, but happy smile crossed Yeosang’s face. “I heard you got a job here. I’ve been trying to find you for days.”

“Do you live near here? Why are you hanging around a hospital looking for me? Oh my god, it’s so good to see you!” Wooyoung had a million questions flying through his head. He was stunned to see his old friend standing in front of him.

Yeosang seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said softly, “I volunteer here from time to time. I heard your name mentioned by one of the other nurses.”

“Wow, how—I mean, wow! I’ve thought about you so much! How have you been?!” Wooyoung found himself bouncing in place while taking in his friend. Yeosang had grown into an incredibly handsome man. His blonde hair was long too. It suited him, the way it hugged the base of his neck but fell so softly around his beautiful, brown eyes. And he wore a baggy, black sweatshirt that covered his hands with faded blue jeans.

“Good. I’ve been good.”

“Still quiet as always I see.” Wooyoung shook his head and grabbed his cart. “I have a patient I need to see, but I have my lunch break after that, are you free? I’d love to catch up!”

“Yes. I’ll meet you at the tables out back.” Yeosang nodded immediately and stepped out of the way. His movements were so fluid and smooth, Wooyoung made a note to ask him if he had become a dancer like they had talked about.

“Alright! I’ll see you shortly!” Wooyoung sped down the hall and felt only slightly guilty when he went through the next check up faster than normal. He nearly ran to the cafeteria to get some food, then sped to the outdoor dining space the hospital had built for the staff.

It was a beautiful space lined with carved rocks and flower beds. Several ponds and fountains had been installed too. He remembered being told it was meant to help staff members come and relax, so they had named it the ‘Tranquil Gardens’, but ironically, hardly anyone used it. It was just so much more convenient to eat in the cafeteria because it was closer to the patients.

But Wooyoung was ok with that because he noticed that he and Yeosang had the place to themselves.

Yeosang was sitting on a patch of grass and had his knees pulled up to his chest while watching some koi fish swim lazily in the pond next to him. He almost looked like he was talking to them.

Wooyoung chuckled to himself before going to sit next to him. “You’re not going to eat?” He asked when he noticed Yeosang didn’t have any food.

“My lunch break was a few hours ago, I’m actually off for the day.” Yeosang said, not making eye contact with Wooyoung right away. “I can’t believe you came back.” He added, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I could say the same thing about you.” Wooyoung unwrapped his sandwich and brought it to his mouth, but then lowered it. “So, you’re ok?”

Yeosang froze at his words and visibly swallowed.

“I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but… you were a patient here, weren’t you?”

“Oh, yes, I was.” Yeosang bit the corner of his bottom lip and slowly dragged his teeth across it. “But yes, I’m ok. I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s ok? I want to hear about you.”

Wooyoung hesitated, but he could see that Yeosang was uncomfortable, so he obliged. After taking a bite of his sandwich, Wooyoung looked down at the ground and sighed. “I’m sorry I never got to say goodbye.” Yeosang glanced at him with glossy eyes. “When my mother didn’t make it out of surgery… My father was heartbroken. Everything happened so fast and before I knew it, we had moved and I was forced to go to a different school. I felt awful, and still do honestly.”

He paused when Yeosang reached over and placed a gently hand on top of Wooyoung’s. The first thing he noticed was just how cold Yeosang felt, but he was quickly distracted by his friend’s deep, velvety voice. “It’s ok. The nurses told me when I asked where you were. It wasn’t your fault. I’m… I’m sorry about your mother.”

“Thanks. She’s not in pain anymore, so I’m thankful for that.”

Yeosang shifted in place a little after withdrawing his hand. “So, what did you end up doing with your life? Is she why you decided to become a nurse?”

Wooyoung nodded, “And you too, if I’m being honest.” He didn’t notice how Yeosang looked at him with a mystified and sad expression before he started to talk about what happened after he moved. Yeosang seemed to cling to every word and wanted to know everything.

It was a bit odd, recounting his entire life story like this, but it came easily to Wooyoung.

Spending his lunch break together became a daily ritual for Wooyoung and Yeosang, and he would even come on his days off to spend Yeosang’s lunch with him. Each time he would pick up where he left off and tell Yeosang about his life.

It wasn’t very exciting in his opinion, but he was happy that it made Yeosang smile. They both shared a laugh when he brought up their dream of becoming stars and how that never happened. Yeosang seemed to brush if off quickly, but he nodded along still as Wooyoung talked about it.

He tried to get his friend to open up about his life, too, but Yeosang’s answers were always short and simple. Eventually Wooyoung accepted that it was just the way his friend was.

No, his best friend.

Wooyoung soon realized that lunch time was his favorite part of the day. He felt almost empty when he wasn’t with Yeosang, especially on the days he was worried about missing his friend if he went to lunch late.

But Yeosang was always there, sitting in the same spot in the garden, talking to the fish.

“You really like that sweatshirt, don’t you?” Wooyoung asked one day after they had spent the first part of his lunch in a comfortable silence, laying on their backs, just watching the clouds float by.

“Huh? Oh… Yeah, I do.” Yeosang cleared his throat and turned his head away from Wooyoung.

“I’ve just noticed you wear it every day. What kind of things do you like? I have loads of sweatshirts, I can see if I have any I can bring you!” Wooyoung propped himself up on his elbow and tilted his head when he thought he saw Yeosang’s lower lip quiver a little right before his mouth curved up in a warm smile and he turned his head back.

“That’s sweet of you, Youngie, but I’m ok.”

Wooyoung blushed at the nickname and started picking at the grass below him. “Do you… Um, would you… Would you like to come over after work?” Wooyoung asked shyly, even though he already knew the answer.

It was always the same. Yeosang’s forehead would crease a little and he would shake his head once. “I’m sorry, I have things I need to do.”

“What things?” Wooyoung’s voice was desperate. _He_ was desperate. He wanted to spend more time with Yeosang. Sure, maybe he was being selfish. But he wanted more…

“Just, things… Please don—”

“Don’t you want to do more than just stay at the hospital, Yeosang?!” Wooyoung shook his head quickly and huffed while pushing himself off the ground. “I mean, I love this time, don’t get me wrong! But I want to go do things! I want to go to a movie with you, or go to dinner, or see where you live! We’re friends, we’re supposed to do things like that!”

Wooyoung’s rant went on for a couple more minutes, and he was so focused on finding the words to say that he didn’t catch the single tear roll down Yeosang’s cheek.

He stopped only when a pair of cold arms wrapped around him and Yeosang pressed his nose to Wooyoung’s neck. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

Even his breath was cold… It made Wooyoung shiver, but he brought his arms up to hug Yeosang back. “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get upset.”

Yeosang didn’t respond. He just stayed in place. Then, in the softest of breaths, he said, “I want that too. More than anything.”

“Then wh—”

“Thank you for coming back here, Wooyoung. I had been praying every day to see you again. Those three months… They meant more to me than you’ll ever know. And I will always treasure them. You’ll always be in my heart.”

Wooyoung felt tears starting to pool in his eyes and he held onto Yeosang tighter. “Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?”

Yeosang was silent for a long time. The next time he spoke, it was to say, “You should get back, your lunch is almost over.”

Wooyoung stepped back and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Ok. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

His friend closed his eyes and nodded once before turning back to look at the koi fish. Wooyoung swallowed the lump in his throat and waited a few more seconds before walking back inside.

Yeosang wasn’t there the next day.

Or the day after.

Wooyoung’s heart grew heavy when he realized he must have chased his friend away by getting mad at him. He started returning late from lunch, hoping, and praying that Yeosang would show up.

But he never did.

There were several days that Wooyoung just knelt by the pond and watch the fish swim in lazy circles. “Where is he?” He found himself asking one day. “Has he come to see you?”

As expected, he received no answer.

When he started to lose all hope, Wooyoung stopped by the information desk to speak to the secretary there. He was an older man with large, round glasses and several laugh lines permanently etched into his face who went by the name of Jun. “How can I help you, Sonny?”

“Do…” Wooyoung cleared his throat and tried to keep his emotions under control. “Do you have a list of the people who volunteer here? I’m trying to track down one of them and return something he lost.”

The man tapped his chin and looked around his desk. “I believe I do here somewhere. Do you know his name?”

“Yeosang.”

“Surname?”

Wooyoung paused. Was he really that horrible of a friend that he didn’t know?

Jun gave him a kind smile and pulled out a list. His eyes flitted back and forth as he scanned the page. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see anyone by the name of Yeosang on this list.”

“What? No, that’s impossible. He volunteers here almost every day.” Wooyoung stepped closer to the desk and fought the urge to rip the list out of Jun’s hands.

He watched as the man read through the list two more times. “I’m sorry… But I don’t see a volunteer here by that name. And I’m the one who checks them all in and gives them their badges.”

Wooyoung felt like everything around him stopped. He looked down at his shoes and slowly shook his head. “But… He was here. He _must_ be on there! I had lunch with him every day!”

“Son, I’m sorry, but he’s not here. Are you sure he was a volunteer?” Jun’s look turned to concerned and he stepped out from behind the desk.

A few other nurses and visitors glanced in their direction when Wooyoung started trying to shout through his oncoming tears. “Yes! He told me he was! He’s about my height, l-long b-b-blonde hair, he’s got a birth mark here,” he jabbed at his own cheek, “deep voice, and he always w-wore the same st-tupid black sweatshirt.”

Jun hurried forward and ushered Wooyoung into a side office to get him off the main floor. Then he pushed Wooyoung into a chair and got him a glass of water. “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

Wooyoung shook his head and covered his mouth. There was no way this was happening. Had Yeosang been lying to him this entire time?

A gentle knock had them both looking at the door and an older nurse stepped inside. “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but… Did I hear you asking about Yeosang?”

“Oh, Jisoo, do you know who he’s talking about?” Jun stood up and stepped aside.

Wooyoung glanced up at her and felt a sense of familiarity, like he had seen her somewhere before but couldn’t place it. She was a shorter woman with greying hair and small wrinkled hands.

“I do.” She said softly. “Can you come with me, Honey? Who’s your supervisor?”

“Dr. Kim.” Wooyoung managed to say.

“Jun, will you page him and let him know that—What’s your name?”

“W-Wooyoung.”

Jisoo placed a hand on her chest and her eyes widened. She had to clear her throat a couple of times before she could speak again. “Jun, will you page Dr. Kim and let him know Wooyoung had to leave early and I approved it?”

“Sure thing.” Jun looked between the two of them and waited for Wooyoung to follow Jisoo from the room before leaving himself.

The kind nurse took Wooyoung’s hand and led him down a hallway he wasn’t familiar with.

Only, he was.

He soon recognized it was the same area his mother had been kept in while waiting for her transplant. Now that he worked here, he knew it was the wing for high risk patients who needed special care and only highly trained nurses were placed there. They walked past the room his mother had stayed in and Jisoo allowed him to slow down to stare at the door.

“I had heard someone by the name of Wooyoung had started working here, but I never got the chance to track you down and see if you were the same one. But you are, aren’t you? Jung Wooyoung?”

All Wooyoung could do was look at her and nod.

Jisoo patted his hand and led him into another office. “Sit here, I need to grab something.”

Wooyoung watched as she sat down at her desk while he sat in a chair in the corner. She let out a sad sigh, then opened the bottom left hand drawer and pulled out a brown package. “I never thought I’d see the day…” She ran her fingers over the package in a slow, loving manner, then handed it to Wooyoung. “This is for you.”

Confused, Wooyoung took it and stared at it for a long moment. Whatever was inside was soft, he could tell that much. With shaking hands, he pulled at the twine holding it together and let the brown paper fall open.

Inside was something that shattered his heart.

A small, yellow blanket.

Wooyoung picked it up and stared at it. His mouth fell open and tears rolled unnoticed down his cheeks.

“There’s a letter on the bottom for you. But take your time. It was his last wish that this was left for you.” Jisoo said through her own tears.

A sob finally tore from Wooyoung’s throat and he held the blanket to his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced more tears from his eyes. “What happened…” He gasped, rocking back and forth.

“He was sick. We tried for years to help him through it, but the chances of him surviving…” Jisoo bowed her head. “We did everything we could to make sure he was comfortable, and he lived longer than predicted. Eighteen… He was a fighter, but I think the thing that kept him going… was the hope of seeing you again. That summer was his best one.”

Wooyoung looked up and saw Jisoo smiling with a mixture of happiness and pain. He still didn’t have the words to say anything, so she continued.

“He was such a good boy. I loved working with him and getting to be his nurse. He didn’t deserve any of this. But he’s not in pain anymore. I… I would have tracked you down when I retired if you never came back to visit. But I think I’ve still been in denial myself that he’s really gone. Sometimes I think I see him standing at the end of the hallway,” Jisoo closed her eyes and tilted her head back, “just smiling and waving, like he’s telling me he’s ok and he’s happy.”

Wooyoung clutched the blanket even harder. “I s-s-saw him t-t—The Tran-n-n..”

Jisoo’s eyes flew open and she gasped. “That was you in the gardens every day? The other nurses kept talking about someone who went out there every single day for lunch and looked like he was talking to someone…”

“N-N-No… He w-was there…” Wooyoung slipped out of the seat and fell to his knees. “ _He was there!_ ”

“Oh, Honey.” Jisoo got on her knees next to him. “I’m so sorry…” She pulled him into her arms. Wooyoung couldn’t bring himself to hug her back. He was too afraid to let go of the precious yellow blanket…

They stayed there for several minutes while Wooyoung let out all the pain that had welled up inside him the past few days.

When he had no more tears left to cry, he mumbled a thank you and walked out of her office clutching his treasure and the letter she had mentioned.

He was too blinded by his emotions to really process where he was going. Before he knew it, the sound of running water filled his ears and Wooyoung stumbled over to the spot he shared with Yeosang in the garden.

Slowly, he brought the blanket up to his nose and inhaled, imagining that this is what Yeosang smelled like, even if it was the smell of faded laundry detergent and paper.

More time passed, and when he felt completely numb, Wooyoung opened the letter as slowly as he could.

_Wooyoung,_

_If you are reading this, then my time has come, and I am no longer a part of this world. Please don’t mourn for me. I have accepted my fate a long time ago and I welcome it with open arms. In my time here, I have come to realize there is a reason for everything. There was a greater plan behind why we met in that playroom all those years ago. I don’t know what it was, and we may never know, but I hope one day you find out. I want to thank you for accepting me so willingly that day. Any of the other children who were in that part of the hospital were either too sick to play or thought I was going to get them sick, so the days I didn’t feel up to coming were days that I felt so guilty. I hope you weren’t too upset when you had to play by yourself. And I hope you didn’t beat yourself up too much for leaving so suddenly. I know now that it wasn’t your fault. I’ll be sure to thank your mother when I see her, because she gave me you. She must have been a wonderful woman. Who knows, maybe she and I will become friends too while we look over you. And I promise I will. Even though we didn’t know each other for very long, I will look over you Wooyoung. Always._

The tears rolled down Wooyoung’s cheeks once more as he read the letter several times. Part of him still didn’t want to believe it, but as images of his time with Yeosang flashed in his mind, he was able to connect the dots and realize that his friend truly was gone.

The same clothes, never eating, the cold touches, his fluid movements… And all the times he rejected doing something with Wooyoung after work…

Wooyoung buried his face in the blanket again and cried for his friend and for the lost time he would never get back.

Then a small warmth started to fill him, and he swore he felt a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. It as the gentlest of touches, like a warm summer breeze kissing his cheek, and it eased the pain just a little bit. _“I’ll always be with you.”_

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on Twitter! @flamewhipper1


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